
As the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics get underway, you may be wondering how Jewish athletes fared over the years.
A Jewish athlete has medaled at every Summer Olympics since the first modern games in Athens in 1896. Back then, five different Jewish athletes placed in the top three in their events, including gymnast Alfred Flatow of Germany who won finished first in gymnastics.
Back then, winners received a silver medal, second place received a copper medal, and no others were awarded. It was only in 1904 in St. Louis when the current gold, silver and bronze medals began to be awarded. That year, six Jewish athletes took home medals, with American long jumper Myer Prinstein winning two golds.
Based on total medals won, the three most decorated Jewish Olympic athletes of all-time are Dara Torres (12 medals in swimming – USA), Mark Spitz (11 medals in swimming – USA) and Ágnes Keleti (11 medals in gymnastics – Hungary). Keleti first competed in 1952 in Helsinki, winning four medals, including one gold. She currently lives in Israel and, at age 103, has the title of “oldest Olympic champion of all-time.”
Using data from the official Olympic athlete database and Jewish Virtual Library and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the Journal found some interesting statistics on just how well Jewish athletes have competed at the world’s grandest sports stage.
A few interesting observations: The year that the most medals were awarded to Jewish athletes across all teams was in 1952 at the Helsinki Summer Olympics. It happened to be the first year that Israel fielded an Olympic team, though they wouldn’t bring home a medal until 1992 in Barcelona.
The year that the most medals were awarded to Jewish athletes across all teams was in 1952 at the Helsinki Summer Olympics. It happened to be the first year that Israel fielded an Olympic team, though they wouldn’t bring home a medal until 1992 in Barcelona.
After the United States, the country with the most Jewish athletes who have medaled is Hungary, with 69 medalists, though a Hungarian Jew has yet to medal since 1972.
The Olympic event where Jewish athletes have had the most success is in swimming, but until 2016, it was fencing. Israel’s two most successful events are in judo and sailing.
While the success rate of Jewish athletes skews towards the Summer Olympics (where there are more athletes and more events overall), the data below is based on all Olympic Games, summer and winter.
Top 5 Events Where Jewish Athletes Have Won Medals ALL-TIME
(Gold, silver, bronze combined)
1: Swimming – 76 medals
2: Fencing – 72 medals
3: Gymnastics – 26 medals
4: Track – 23 medals
5: Water Polo – 21 medals
COUNTRIES WITH MOST TIMES THAT A JEWISH ATHLETE MEDALED
(Gold, silver, bronze combined)
1: USA: 115 times
2: Hungary: 69 times
3: USSR: 67 times
4: Austria: 21 times
5: France: 15 times
Most TOTAL Medals Won by Jewish Athletes at an Olympics
(Gold, silver, bronze combined; all teams combined)
1: 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics: 29 total Jewish medalists
2: 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics: 26 total Jewish medalists
3: 1960: Rome Summer Olympics: 24 total Jewish medalists
4: 1956: Melbourne Summer Olympics: 24 total Jewish Medalists
5: 1968: Mexico City Summer Olympics: 22 total Jewish medalists
Jewish Athletes with Most Appearances at Olympics Where they Medaled
(Gold, silver, bronze combined)
1 (tie): Sue Bird –5 appearances and medaling in basketball – USA.
2004 Athens
2008 Beijing
2012 London
2016 Rio de Janeiro
2021 Tokyo
1 (tie): Dara Torres – 5 appearances and medaling in swimming – USA.
1984 Los Angeles
1988 Seoul
1992 Barcelona
2000 Sydney
2008 Beijing
2 (tie): György Kárpáti – 4 appearances and medaling in water polo – Hungary.
1952 Helsinki
1956 Melbourne
1960 Rome
1964 Tokyo
2 (tie): Jason Lezak – 4 appearances and medaling in swimming – USA.
2000 Sydney
2004 Athens
2008 Beijing
2012 London
2 (tie): Robert Dover – 4 appearances and medaling in equestrian – USA.
1992 Barcelona
1996 Atlanta
2000 Sydney
2004 Athens
Most GOLD Medals Won By a Jewish Athlete at a SINGLE Olympics
1: Mark Spitz – USA: 7 gold medals in swimming at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics.
2: Agnes Keleti – Hungary: 4 gold medals in gymnastics at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics.
3: Alfred Flatow – Germany: 3 gold medals in gymnastics at the 1896 Athens Summer Olympics.
4: Lenny Krayzelburg – USA: 3 gold medals in swimming at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.
All-Time Most GOLD Medals Won by a Jewish Athlete at the Olympics
1: Mark Spitz – USA – 9 gold medals in swimming.
2: Agnes Keleti – Hungary – 5 gold medals in gymnastics.
3 (tie): Myer Prinstein – USA – 4 gold medals in track.
3 (tie): Dr. Jeno Fuchs – Hungary – 4 gold medals in fencing.
4 (tie): Jason Lezak – USA – 3 gold medals in swimming.
4 (tie): Tamara Press – USSR – 3 gold medals in track & field.
4 (tie): Anthony Ervin – USA – 3 gold medals in swimming.
4 (tie): Aly Raisman – USA – 3 gold medals in gymnastics.
4 (tie): Lenny Krayzelburg – USA – 3 gold medals in swimming.
Most GOLD Medals Won By A Jewish Athlete Since 2000
1: Sue Bird – USA: 5 in basketball
One at 2004 Athens
One at 2008 Beijing
One at 2012 London
One at 2016 Rio de Janeiro
One at 2021 Tokyo
2: Jason Lezak – USA: 4 in swimming
One at 2000 Sydney
One at 2004 Athens
Two at 2008 Beijing
3: Aly Raisman – USA: 3 in gymnastics
Two at 2012 London
One at 2016 Rio de Janeiro
4: Anthony Ervin – USA: 3 in swimming
One at 2000 Sydney
Two at 2016 Rio de Janeiro
*Dara Torres won 4 gold medals in swimming but in three different decades: one at 1984 Los Angeles, one at 1992 Barcelona, and two at 2000 Sydney.
How Has Israel Fared at the Olympics? Quick facts:
- Israel has participated in the Summer Olympics since 1952 in Helsinki.
- Since 1952, the only year Israel did not participate in the Summer Olympics was the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow – 65 nations
- The first time Israel medaled at the Summer Olympics was in 1992 in Barcelona when Yael Arad won silver in the women’s Judo 61 kg. The next day, Oren Smadja won a bronze medal in the men’s Judo 71 kg.
- The first gold medal won by Israel at the Olympics was Gal Fridman in Men’s sailboard at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
- Since 1992, the only Summer Olympics that Israel has not medaled in was in London in 2012.
- The most successful year for Israel at the Olympics was in Tokyo in 2021, taking home four medals and placing 39th out of 93 participant countries. Israel fielded its largest team to date (90 athletes in 15 sports and 66 events). It was the first time that Israel won two gold medals: Artem Dolgopyat in the floor event in men’s gymnastics, and Linoy Ashram in gymnastics women’s all-around.
- Israel has participated in the Winter Olympics since 1994 in Lillehammer. Israel’s lone participant (and the first to compete under the Israel flag at the Winter Olympics) was Michael Shmerkin in men’s figure skating.
- The most athletes that Israel has fielded in the Winter Olympics was in 2018 in Pyeongchang: 10 athletes.
- Israel has yet to medal in the Winter Olympics.
YouTuber Daniel Shorstein, The Pythonic Accountant, contributed to this story.